In The Spotlight
by shootingstar46
Summary: Rachel acts in a movie with Joey. When they have to kiss, both realize they like each other but are afraid to say so, so C/M hafta play matchmaker.~PLEASE R/R!!~***NOW FINISHED!!!***
1. Rehearsal

I do not own any of the following characters.  
  
  
"I got the part!" Joey exclaimed, charging through the door of Chandler and Monica's apartment. He was grinning from ear to ear.  
"Wow, that is so great!" Monica congratulated along with the rest of the gang.  
"What? I didn't know you had an audition! What's it for?" Phoebe inquired.  
"A made for TV movie called "In The Spotlight". It's about the troubled existence of a actor as he copes with life and love in Hollywood." He explained. "Well, that's what the director said anyway."  
"So what role did you get?" Phoebe questioned.  
"The lead role." He bragged proudly.   
"So when do you start?" Rachel asked.  
"Tomorrow, actually. I guess there's a certain date they want to be finished by so they want us to start as soon as possible."  
  
  
***1 month later***  
Today would be the last day rehearsing, which they desperately needed. The chemistry between Joey and the actress was almost non-existent, they completely hated one another, and the director was only giving them this last day to make it work. Rachel came by to watch because her and Joey had to go shopping afterwards. Twenty minutes had passed and the lead actress still hadn't shown up. "There's no answer at her cell phone." The director reported. "We are on a tight schedule here, if she doesn't show up, we'll never make the deadline."  
Forty-five minutes, an hour, an hour and a half, still no sign of her. "Okay, we need someone to fill in for her for now. Hey", he said pointing at Rachel. "do you think you could read from the script just so Joey can get some rehearsing in?"  
"Uhhh, sure, I guess." She reluctantly agreed. Rachel thought she was nervous when she was just reading the lines, she could barely get the words out when she realized the kissing scene was coming up. It wasn't that she thought Joey was repulsive or anything, but it was Joey. One of her closest friends, her room mate. She had never even thought about him like that before. She was certain it was going to be awkward and weird.  
It wasn't. She didn't once think 'Oh, my God, am I crazy?'. It was strange, it seemed very natural, like it was meant to be. And although she refused to admit it, she liked it. They parted from their kiss, and they looked at each other, both wondering of they were crazy or if the other felt what they felt. Their gaze was interrupted by the director.  
"Wow!" He said in disbelief. "Have you ever acted before?"  
"Me? No.", she snapped.  
"Because that was….perfect. After a month of rehearsals, those two never looked half as convincing as you two after one. Would you consider taking over her role?"  
"Me?" She asked, shocked.  
"Yes, you two are perfect together. The chemistry is unbelievable. Wow." So do you want to do it?"  
"Oh, I don't think so, I'm not an actor…I…"   
"Rach, come on, it might be fun." He tried to coax her, knowing he might lose the job if she didn't.  
"Yeah, I guess." She agreed reluctantly.  
They walked out of the studio, Rachel with her hands on her forehead. "Oh, my God, what did I just do?" I can't be in a movie, I'm a waitress." She was utterly shocked.  
"C'mon Rach, it can't be that bad."  
"Well, I'm not saying it's bad, I just don't believe it." They laughed. "Why are you so excited about this anyway?" She pried.  
"Have you met the girl I was working with before? Last week she wouldn't come because she was having a bad hair day."  
"Well, I wouldn't want to be on TV either if my hair looked bad." She defended.  
"It was rehearsal! It was just me, her, the director, and a few other actors!"  
They both chuckled as they walked into a pizza shop for lunch.  
All Rachel could talk about was how she couldn't believe she was officially an 'actress'. Not that she would ever admit to it, but she wasn't really excited about acting in a movie, she was excited about acting in a movie with Joey. She realized that she had a crush on him, which scared her because she really valued her friendship with Joey and didn't want to ruin it.. She had never even thought about them together before, but after that kiss…she was definitely thinking about it. 


	2. To Tell Or Not To Tell

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Monica!" Rachel screamed, bolting through the apartment door. "Monica, I   
have big news!"  
"Okay, calm down. Don't give yourself a heart attack."  
"Right." She panted.  
"Okay, I'm going to act in a movie with Joey and…"  
"Wow, congratulations!" She hugged her best friend.  
"No, there's more…" Monica just looked at her curiously. She could tell by   
the look in her eyes that something was going on. "Okay, I really don't   
know how to explain this but, when we were rehearsing the kissing   
scene…I…ummm…I…felt something." She looked at Monica, awaiting a reaction.  
"Wait, you felt something as in you felt something or you felt something   
as in he has dentures?" She asked, shocked. She expected the world to   
spontaneously implode before Rachel and Joey would get together.  
"I FELT something." She sighed.  
"Now what exactly do you mean when you say you 'felt something'?" She   
asked, still in astonishment.  
"Monica, do you really not know where I'm going with this?"  
"Well, yeah, but…does he know?"  
"No!" She shouted. "And I intend to keep it that way!"  
"Why?"  
"Because it's Joey. My room mate Joey!"  
"Yeah, and…?"  
"Well, I don't know. This is just so weird. I never even thought about us   
together, never. And what if it doesn't work, I don't want to ruin our   
friendship."  
"Well, you'll never know if you don't tell him. Look at Ross, he had a   
crush on you for ten years and it drove him crazy. You two never even became   
good friends until after you went out because of it. That's why I think you   
should tell him." She advised. "Maybe he feels the same way." With that   
Rachel just looked at her.  
"Wow, I never thought of that. Maybe I should tell him." She pondered the   
matter. "I'm just so scared of us never being friends again."  
"Look at you and Ross, you two are still friends. And who says that it's   
not going to work out, look and Chandler and me."  
"You're right. I'm just going to tell him." She took a deep breath and left   
the apartment. Almost immediately after, the door swung back open. "Do you   
think you could tell him?"  
"Rach…"  
"Yeah, okay. I'm going." She quickly ran back out before she could change   
her mind. She really, really didn't want to do this. Right after she closed   
the door she ran into Phoebe in the hall. Monica could hear the conversation   
from inside.  
"Hey, what's the hurry, you almost plowed me right over."  
"Actually, it's quite an interesting story. Why don't you come inside and   
I'll explain it to you." She smiled, relieved she had an excuse not to talk   
to Joey.  
"I don't believe you." Monca grunted.  
"What? Phoebe asked why I was in a hurry, and as her friend, I think I should tell her." She said trying to justify her procrastination. Monica glared at her.  
"Oh, yeah, Phoebe, I just rmembered that I have to go." She stuttered a little afraid at Monica as she looked at her.  
"What's going on?" Phoebe asked.  
"Rachel has a crush on Joey and doesn't want to tell him."  
"Wow."  
"I know, they would be great together, but Rachel says she doesn't want to ruin their friendship but I think she's just afraid of rejection. Don't tell anyone I told you, but I think she's had a crush on him for a long time, and I mean a long time." She smiled.  
"Really? How did you know?"  
"I could just tell. You know, by the way she looked at him, and when she moved in with him, she was just a little too excited." She giggled. "She'll never admit it though, so don't even bother. trust me, I've tried." They laughed.  
Rachel neared the Central Perk, mumbling to herself, trying to figure out how to tell Joey. As she was about to open the door, she saw him sitting there and she just couldn't do it.  
"Okay, alright, you just need some more time." She stuttered with her hands on her forehead.  
"I'll just go shopping and figure out how to deal with this."  
  
"Hey, Joe." Chandler chirped as he walked into the coffee house.  
"Chandler, thank God you're here! I really need to talk to you!" He pleaded.  
"Sure, what's up?" He sat down, concerned. Normally, Joey's main concern was the new comic in the Sunday paper. This was defiately serious.  
"This is really big and I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if..."  
"Why don't you tell me what it is that you're not sure of before you tell me that you're not sure about."  
"Well, when you and Monica started dating, what did you do when you realized you liked her...how did you tell her?"  
"I didn't. It's was just some spontaneous thing, I can't really explain it."  
"That doesn't help me much!" He shouted in frustration, desperately seeking advice.  
"Oh, I know what this is about!" He said.  
"You do?" Joey asked, relieved.  
"Yeah, you like Phoebe. I can't say I'm surprised, but..."  
"What?! Phoebe? Are you crazy?" He shrieked.  
"Well, if it's not Phoebe then who...oh...my God! You're in love with Rachel?" He twisted his face in disbelief.  
"Yeah!" He shouted, relieved soemone finally knew.  
"Are you serious? How...when...where...why?" He stuttered.  
"Well, if you have to know...how-at rehersal, she had to fill in and there was a...kissing scene, when-today, where-at the studio, why-I have no idea which is why I'm talking to you." He blurted out. "So what do you think I should do?" He asked apprehensively.  
"I think you should tell her." He advised.  
"I was afraid of that." He whined. "I just don't know if risking our friendship is worth seeing if we work as a couple."  
"Monica and I took that risk, and look at us, we're engaged."  
"You're right. But I need some time to think about this so don't say anything to anyone." He said, putting on his coat.  
"No problem." Chandler soon got up to leave too. He and Monica were going out to dinner that night.  
"So how was your day?' Chandler asked, trying to initiate a conversation once they were seated in the restaurant.  
"Actually, I had a very interesting chat with Rachel. I'm nto supossed to say anything but...she has a crush on Joey!" She giggled anxiously.  
"Are you serious?!" Chandler shouted, wide-eyed.  
"Yeah." She relpied, curious as to why Chandler was so intrigued.  
"I just talked to Joey and he said the same thing about her!"  
"Are you serious?!" Her jaw dropped. "Oh, my God! This is so...wow!  
"I know!"   
"But neither of them will ever tell the other how they feel."  
"I know...something about he doesn't want to ruin..."  
"Their friendship." She interrupted. "I know, Rachel told me the same thing. "You know, maybe we should do something to hook them up." She smiled devilishly. 


	3. Matchmakers

"So, what do you plan to do?" Chandler asked, intrigued.  
"Well, I have a couple of ideas in mind." She smiled.  
"Lay em on me."  
"Well, we could offer to take them out to dinner, celebrating finishing the movie," She winked, "and then cancel out at the last minute.."  
"Leaving them alone." He interrupted, getting the idea. "It's genius. But I'm not sure it'll work."  
"Why?"  
"You did talk to Rachel today, right? They act like they're still in junior high. Just them eating dinner together won't do anything if you ask me."  
"Oh, come on. After about twenty minutes of awkward silence, one of them is bound to say something."  
"I don't know, we might have to go one step further."  
"Such as...?"  
"Well, we could drop hints that one likes the other. If one thinks that the other feels the same way they do, they won't be so nervous about admitting it." He suggested.  
"That's true." She said. "But how do you propose we do that?"  
"I have some ideas. But, you know, we're going to have to wait a while, because they'll be suspicious if we do it right away."  
"Good point. We can start right after they're done filming the movie, just in time for our 'celbration dinner'." She giggled.  
They spent the whole evening discussing it. They were definately intent on getting those two together. It was a good thing, too, because they probably would have never done it on their own.  
Rachel nor Joey said anything about their feelings to each other or anyone else, knowing they would push them into telling the other. They were going to do it, eventually.  
  
~~~2 months later~~~  
  
"Hey, Mon!" Rachel shouted excitedly, entering the apartment with Joey.   
"We are officially finished filming!" Joey announced.  
"I am now a famous actress! This is so cool, in a few weeks, people all over the country will be watching me on TV!" She giggled.   
"Congratualtions!" Monica said.  
"You know," Chandler chimed in, "we should go out to celebrate tonight."   
"That would be great!" Joey exclaimed.  
"My treat." chandler offered.  
"Wow, thanks, you guys, that is so nice." Rachel said gratefully.  
"Hey, why don't you two go get ready and we'll call the rest of the gang." Monica suggested. They left and Monica and Chandler, of course, never even called Ross and Phoebe. They had no idea about Joey and Rachel, and the other four wanted to keep it that way. At least for now.   
Within a half hour, Joey and Rachel returned. "So are Ross and Pheebs coming?" Rachel asked.  
"No they couldn't make it." Chandler recited. "Ross is teaching a night class and Phoebe wasn't home. But, we can still have fun."   
The whole way to the restaurant Chandler was sneezing and sniffling and could barely breathe.  
"Are you okay?" Rachel asked.  
"Oh, yeah, I'm...I'm...ACHOO!"  
"Are you sure you want to do this tonight, you don't sound so good." Joey said.  
"Chandler, I think you're coming down with something. Maybe we should go home." Monica suggested.  
"I think she's right, you sound awful." Rachel responded.  
"Oh, you know what, we're already here. Why don't you two just take our credit card and we'll go." Monica said.  
" No, we can't do that." Joey relpied.  
"No, it's fine, we want you to." Chandler sniffled. Rachel and Joey got out of the cab and went into the restaurant.   
"Oh yeah, we're good!" Monica applauded herself.  
Chandler laughed, completely cured of his cold, of course, and they went home. 


	4. On To Plan B

The waiter came by and poured the wine. Joey lifted his glass. "To us on finished our movie."  
"To us." She took a sip of her wine.  
"So how does it feel?" He asked.  
"How does what feel?"  
"Being an actress, finally, after all your hard work, ccomleteing the movie."  
"Oh, it feels great! But, you know, I never really realized what hard work it is to be an actor."  
"Yeah, it's not as easy as people think."  
"But for the kind of cash you get, even for a small film like this, it's all worth it."  
Awkward silence. They both knew it was coming, and htey tried to avoid it, but here it was. She looked at him, he looked at her, in silence, and it was awkward. But still, neither of them had the slighteset clue about the other's feelings for them. Neither of them could bring themsleves to say anything. But still, you would think, after all this time, one of them would suspect soemthing, them being room mates and all. But nothing. They both just wanted to tell the other, get ot over with. Finally, Joey decided he was going to do it. He was tired of keeping secrets and torturing himself.   
"Rachel"  
"Joey"  
Aparently they both had the same idea in mind.  
"I have been wanting to tell you something for a long time, and I just can't keep avoiding it anymore." He looked at her.  
"Oh, my God!" She thought. "He likes me too! Oh, thank God, now i don't have to be the one to say it!"  
"I've been wanting to tell you something, too." She admitted, out loud this time. "You go first." She smiled.  
"Okay." He exhaled as he began, looking into her eyes. "I...I...uhhh...I...really like your earrings." He just couldn't do it. He put his hands on his forehead as he saw her confused look.  
"Uhhhh...what did you want to say?" he tried to end the embarassment.  
"Oh, um.... I forget." she stuttered, scratching her neck, trying to look casual.  
They thought the previous twenty minutes were awkward, well the rest of the night went off the scale compared to that. they just sat there, both completely embarassed, wondering if the other knew anything. They didn't, so they sat in silence the rest of the night.  
Rachel walked into Chandler and Monica's apartment, not wanting to face Joey again yet. "Hey, how did it go?" Monica asked hopefully.  
"Horrible, we just sat there staring at each other. I couldn't think of anything to say,and neither could he, it was awful."  
Monica and Chandler looked at each other and thought "Oh my God, I am going to kill those two if they don't stop acting like little kids."  
When she finally left, Chandler and Monica began to talk.  
"Told you so!" Chandler mocked. "I knew the dinner wouldn't work!"  
"Oh, shut up!" She yelled. "Well, if you're so smart, we'll have to try your idea."  
"Great." He grinned. 


	5. A Little Reverse Psychology

"Hey, how are ya?" Monica greeted as Rachel stumbled through the door.  
"Awful. I can't believe how horrible things went with Joey last night." She groaned. "I want to tell him so much, but I just can't." She slammed her head on the counter.  
"It's not that bad, Rach."  
"Yes it is. I am going to go through my entire life having a huge thing for Joey and he'll never know about and it's going to eat away at me for the next thirty years."  
"Well, maybe it is that bad." She concluded. "Just tell him and get it over with."  
"I want to, I really do, and trust me, I've tried. Maybe I can write him a letter." Monica rolled her eyes in anger. This was driving her nuts. She was just going to have to whip out Plan B. She didn't want to lie to her best friend, especially since she knew it might very well backfire, but she had no other choice.  
"I don't think you'll have to write him a letter, Rach."  
"What are you talking about....oh...you mean E-Mail! Even better!" She yelled.  
"No, now I'm not supossed to say anything, but Joey was asking if you were seeing anybody this morning when he was here, and he wanted to know what your favorite restaurant was." She saw the 'Oh, my God! I don't believe it' look on Rachel's face and immediately quipped with, "But...it's probably nothing."  
"Yeah, nothing." She lied, contemplating what other reason he could possibly be asking for.  
"But, did he actually say anything about asking me out?" She asked as subtle as possible.  
"Well, he asked if I knew whether or not you liked him."   
"Really?!" She was completely ecstatic. Finally, after all this time, her and Joey would finally be together.  
"But I told him you weren't interested."  
"What?" She snapped, enraged.  
"Well, you hadn't said anything about it to me in a while so I figured you were over him. I thought if you liked him, you would have said soemthing by now." She said calmly.  
"Okay, well, maybe he'll ask me out anyway." She prayed.  
"Well, I don't know about that."  
"What do you mean?"  
"When he came with me to take the garbage out, he asked some girl in the hall for her number. You've met her, the one that just moved in. She was the one who called you a slut and tripped you down the stairs because you started dating her ex a few months ago." She was now making it up as she went along, but it was working, Rachel was about to have a stroke. Her eyes were bulging and her face was beet red. Making up more of that ridiculous story was all Monica could do to keep herself from laughing.  
"Oh, my God!I can't believe he asked her out!" she shrieked in shock."I have to tell him!"   
"But I thought you just couldn't do it."  
"Well, I can if he's going out with her. I have no choice. If I keep my mouth shut, I have no chance with him! I have to go!" She ran to the door.  
"Uhhh...Rach?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Get dressed first."  
"Right, thanks." She grinned at her mistake.  
"Joe, what are you doing on Valentine's Day?" Chandler asked.  
"Why?" Joey wondered.  
"I don't know. Rachel told me to ask you."  
"Rachel?"  
"Yeah, I don't get it either. Last I knew she already had a date, but she said something about she was thinking about cancelling it."  
"Really? Rachel wants to go out with me for Valentine's Day?" He said, with a huge grin on his face and excitement in his tone.  
"Yeah, but I think she's going to go out with the model she origianally had the date with because she thinks you don't like her." He was almost as good at this as Monica was."Really? Oh my God, what should I do?"  
"Well I would guess you should tell her!" He saidi sarcastically.  
"You're right. I have nothing to worry about it , I mean now I know she feels the same way."  
"Exactly."  
"Well, I gotta go, thanks!" He ran out the door.  
" I should consider doing thins professionally." He thought to himself, after Joey went flying throuhg the door. 


	6. Plan B Backfires

Rachel ran all over the city looking for Joey, she was at Central Perk, and every deli whithin a ten mile radius. She couldn't find him anywhere.  
When Joey got to the apartment, Rachel wasn't there, so he went to Monica who told him she was at the coffee house, but by the time he got there, she had left. They finally crossed paths back at the apartment.  
"Joey! Where have you been, I have been looking all over for you!" She panted, taking her coat off.  
"I've been out looking for you!"  
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not seeing anyone, my favorite restaurant is Sorentino's, and please don't go out with the girl down the hall!" She pleaded.  
"What? I thought you were going to go out with the model for Valentine's Day?"  
"What are you talking about? Monica told me that...Oh... wait a minute... who told you all this?" Finally catching on.  
"Chandler." He said, confused.  
"Did you happen to notice that the other night when we had dinner and we came home, Chandler was absolutely fine?"  
"Yeah, so?"  
"Joey, they are trying to set us up!"  
"What?"  
"Oh come on, think about it." She became impatient. "Chandler and Monica told us Phoebe and Ross couldn't go to dinner, but they never said one word to us about it. Chandler and Monica had to go home, leaving us alone at dinner. They tell us both bogus stories about us liking each other. Why would they do all that if they weren't trying to get us together?"  
"Oh, my God! You're right!"   
"I know! I can't believe them."  
"I think we need to have a talk with them."  
They marched across the hall and into Chandler and Monica's apartment.  
"Monica!" She shouted angrily.  
"Chandler!"  
Monica was right. That plan did backfire, very badly.  
"Hey, guys, how are you doing?" Monica tried to suck up to save herslef, but it didn't help.  
"Nice try." Joey replied.  
"What is the matter with you two?" Rachel lectured.  
"Don't you think we can handle our own personal lives?" Joey snapped.  
"I, uhh...well...we..."  
"Well, that explains everything." Rachel mocked.  
"We're sorry, we were just trying to help." Monica cried.  
"Well, you didn't." Joey yelled.  
"Yeah, do you have any idea how embarassing this is?" Rachel added.  
"Come on, it's not that bad! We said we were sorry, what more do you want?" Monica begged.  
"Okay, fine. But from now on, let me get dates on my own." Rachel suggested.  
"Yeah!" Joey yelled in agreement.  
"Fine." They wanted to just get it out into the open about how Rachel and Joey felt, but they were mad enough at them as it was.  
"Okay, well I guess we should go." They were both so embarassed, afraid to face one another when they got back.  
"Well, that was wierd." Joey said.  
"Yeah, what were they thinking, trying to set us up?" They looked at each other and shrugged. They laughed for a minute in retrospect.  
"Us, as a couple..." Joey laughed. "That would just be..."  
"Wierd." rachel chimed in.  
"Definately." He confirmed. "Have you ever even thought about us like that?"  
"No, of course not, never." This wasn't even a conversation, they were more or less interrogating one another. They were getting no where.  
"Okay, you know what? I can't take this anymore!" She exploded. "Joey, we have to talk." 


	7. Finally The Truth Comes Out

"Okay." he said confused. 'Oh, my God!' He thought. 'She knows! She knows I like her! I'm going to kill Chandler and Monica! She knows and she's trying to let me down easy. This is exactly why I didn't want her to know. She must think I'm such an idiot for not telling her all these months. I should have just told her way back then and maybe she at least wouldn't have thought I was so immature. I really screwed this up.' He lectured himself silently.  
'Oh, what am I doing? He is so never going to talk to me again. There is no way he could possibly even consider going out with me. No! I have to at least tell him. I've established it's more than a crush. Crushes don't last this long. So I'm just going to tell him. Wait, maybe i should get him drunk. Because then, he won't remember if I do tell him.' Her conscience tortured her.  
"So, what is it we need to talk about?" Joey asked, just hoping to get it over with, he knew it was coming, so he might as well.  
"Oh, right. Well...actually, Joey, you might want to sit down for this one."  
'Yep, this is definately bad.' He silently concluded.  
"Okay." She began once they were both seated. "Joey, you are one of my best friends, and that is really important to me. If I ever lost that, I don't know what I'd do." She said solemnly.  
'She definately knows...I can't believe this is happening.' These were the thoughts that flooded his mind as she explained.  
"Joey, I have been hiding something from you. I've been hiding something for a really, really long time, and I am so sorry. I guess I was just afraid of what you would think or how it would jepordize our friendship."  
"Rach, it's me. You can tell me anything. I'll always be here whenever you need me." He figured one of them might as well feel better about this. She smiled, realizing that what he said was sincere, and she felt better knowing that. Not completely, though.  
"Joey, ever since that day a few months ago, when I had to fill in for that actress, and we kissed...I...I think...I think I might be...be...in love with you." She finally blurted out, holding her breath, waiting for what he would say. There was a long pause as she looked at him, and he just looked blankly back at her in astonishment.  
"Look, I know that's probably the last thing on your mind, and I wasn't even going to tell you but it's been driving me crazy for months and I know I just couldn't live the rest of my life not knowing what might have happened if I would have had the courage to tell you and..."  
'Oh, my God! I don't believe this! She's not trying to reject me, she's trying to tell me she's in love with me! Oh, my God!' He thought as she rambled.  
"Rach...Rachel!" He interrupted her. "Slow down, I was just going to tell you the same thing until you said you wanted to talk. I thought you knew about how I felt and were trying to let tell me you didn't want anything to do with me!" He shouted in excitement.  
"Really?" She began to cry. She had been waiting for this for so long, and it was finally happening. He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.  
"I can't believe this is finally happening." He whispered lightly in her ear.  
"I know, and it's unbelieveable."  
He looked into her eyes, and slowly leaned in and kissed her gently, and tenderly. Neither of them had felt like this ever before in their lives, but as they emraced one another in their passionate kiss, they knew they would feel like this for the rest rest of their lives. Just then Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Ross walked in who had been waiting outside the whole time. The two didn't even part as they four in the doorway let out a simultaneous cry of 'awww'. 


End file.
